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Migrants have enriched Irish society - Bairbre de Brún

Sinn Féin MEP Bairbre de Brún has today said that 'no barriers should be put
in the way of full participation in Irish society by those who come here to
Ireland to live and work'.

Ms de Brún made her comments as she
attended the Parliamentarians for Global Action's (GPA) 27th Annual Forum on
'Migration, Immigration and Integration' in Dublin.

Speaking
today Ms de Brún said:

"I am pleased to attend today's
conference. I will be joined by over 100 parliamentarians from over 50
countries to positively contribute to the debate regarding migration and the
rights of migrants and their families. Today's discussions will focus on
issues including health, gender, human trafficking and the rights and needs
of migrants who are vulnerable in their host country

"Today's
conference is set against the backdrop of increasing racism and discrimination
against our ethnic minority communities. A multi agency approach is required
to protect our most vulnerable in society. It is an absolute disgrace that
not one EU country has ratified the UN Convention on the Protection of the
Rights of Migrants and their Families.

"Like many other European
countries, Ireland has become a much more plural and diverse society in
recent years. Migration into Ireland must be viewed as a welcome and
positive development and not a threat as some politicians and media
commentators would have us believe.

"In the main, those who come
to Ireland positively contribute to Irish society, in the same way that
those who emigrated from here to Britain, Australia, the USA and elsewhere
enriched society.

"One of the big challenges for us as a society
is to ensure the provision of services for those who come to Ireland. In
particular, we must ensure that services available are provided in the
language spoken by those who live and work here. As our society becomes more
plural, it is no longer adequate to think that Irish and English are the
only language spoken.

"No barriers should be put in the way of
full participation in Irish society by those who come here to Ireland to
live and work'. ENDS